RAJSHAHI, Mar 28 (BSS): Speakers at an advocacy meeting have underscored the need for a concerted effort to create awareness among mass people for building a tuberculosis-free society.
They said TB is no more a killer disease as its early detection, proper and timely diagnosis, treatment and preventive measures are found effective in fighting the disease.
The observation came at an orientation on TB for health staff of the Rajshahi City Corporation (RCC) in the city on Tuesday.
Challenged TB Bangladesh and RCC jointly organised the orientation in its conference hall in association with 'Zero TB Cities Initiative Project'.
City Mayor Mosaddeque Hossain Bulbul addressed the meeting as chief guest with its Chief Executive Officer Shah Momin in the chair.
RCC Chief Health Officer Dr AFM Anzuman Ara Begum, Senior Consultant of Chest Disease Hospital Dr Masudur Rahman, Project Coordinator of Damien Foundation Arif Iftekahr Mannan and its Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Toslim Uddin also spoke.
Md Kaykuzzaman, Divisional Coordinator of Challenge TB Bangladesh, presented a concept paper on the issue.
He told the meeting that some 21,613 new patients suffering from various types of tuberculosis including 12,819 smear positive have been detected in Rajshahi division in 2017 up by 1,820 and 1,379 respectively in comparison with 2016.
He, however, said Rajshahi division has attained a significance success in TB control programme during the last couple of years and the recovery rate is 94 percent.
Dr Masudur Rahman said the TB is an infectious disease that usually spreads out through breathing of the affected patients. Cough with pain in the chest for more than two weeks is the symptom of the disease.
In the event of the contacting the disease, the infected persons are required to be diagnosed immediately, he said.
"It is no more a deadly disease and it is fully cured if the affected patients take proper treatment," he said.
He said free treatment facilities are available at all the upazila health complexes, district and tertiary hospitals, public and private medical colleges and health centres of various NGOs.
Mayor Bulbul mentioned that with the collective efforts of all the authorities and individuals concerned can reduce morbidity, mortality and transmission of tuberculosis along with making the nation free from the curse of the disease.
Emphasis should be given to creating mass awareness to fight tuberculosis, he added.
